A-Bei and A-Shi

"I... I am absolutely not the double-standard old fossil that blind man called me! I did it for Shrek's ten-thousand-year orthodoxy!"

The moment they left the room, Mu En casually set up a soundproof barrier, and the emotions Yan Shaozhe had been bottling up finally erupted.

His normally refined face flushed crimson as he lowered his voice and desperately defended himself.

Beside him, Xuan Zi, who had looked as dejected as a beaten dog just yesterday, now miraculously felt much better.

After watching a blind man tear into Yan Shaozhe right to his face, Xuan Zi even found the wine gourd in his hand more pleasing to the eye.

He stepped forward and patted Yan Shaozhe on the shoulder, stifling a laugh. With earnest concern, he returned the very words Mu En had used to console him yesterday, word for word. "Yan Shaozhe, don't get worked up! This spectator from another world only knows us through some novel's setting. What does he know about the difficulties of running our academy? The ignorant bear no blame! Besides, you're not the only member of Shrek's leadership he's cursed out. Take it in stride."

Hearing the gloating in Xuan Zi's voice, Yan Shaozhe's mouth twitched violently. He barely restrained himself from unleashing his Bright Phoenix and fighting Xuan Zi.

"Enough. Both of you, be quiet."

Mu En leaned on his cane, not a trace of amusement in his clouded eyes.

He turned his gaze toward Yan Shaozhe and slowly asked, "Yan Shaozhe, search your conscience. If a genius with twin martial souls and an ultimate attribute really appeared in the Outer Court this year, but caught Qian Duoduo's eye in the Soul Tool Department... would you swallow your pride and go to the Soul Tool Department to snatch them away?"

Yan Shaozhe froze, wanting to counter with a few noble, high-minded words.

But under his teacher's seemingly all-seeing gaze, his face reddened. He hemmed and hawed for ages before finally squeezing out a single word with difficulty. "...Yes."

Twin martial souls with an ultimate attribute!

Forget saving face-for the Martial Soul Department's future, Yan Shaozhe would even throw a tantrum and roll around outside the Soul Tool Department's gates!

"Then doesn't that settle it?" Mu En sighed, his tone growing exceedingly grave.

"He called you a double-standard dog. It was ugly, but it was also true. What's more, this boy has a razor-sharp eye. With a single needle drawing blood, he pinpointed the fatal danger beneath Shrek's ten-thousand-year foundation!"

Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe both composed themselves and listened solemnly.

"The Sun Moon Empire's soul tools are advancing a thousand miles a day. Those are the true weapons of war. Yet Shrek remains lost in its ten-thousand-year dream of martial soul supremacy, frantically suppressing the Soul Tool Department for the Martial Soul Department's pride."

Mu En gazed into empty space and sighed deeply. "Honest advice grates on the ears! Perhaps this boy really is a whip sent by heaven to wake Shrek up."

At this point, Elder Zhuang, who had remained silent, frowned and spoke. "Pavilion Master, this boy's eyes merely have blocked meridians. I've examined him. In half a month at the earliest, a month at the latest, he will certainly see again. Once his sight returns, he sees the Sea God Pavilion's Golden Tree, learns he's been in Shrek all along, and realizes he's spent these past few days cursing out Shrek's entire leadership... might he refuse to reveal any more secrets of the future out of fear, or humiliation turning to anger?"

At those words, everyone's heart sank.

They had tricked him into being a blind man in a village and let him unleash scathing criticism right in front of its targets. If the truth came out, the scene would absolutely become an Asura battlefield.

"So before his eyes recover, we must draw out every last piece of information in his head about the Sun Moon Empire, soul tools, and Shrek's future!"

Mu En delivered the final verdict, striking his cane heavily against the ground. "Once his eyes recover, even if he points at my nose and calls me a rotten old man after learning the truth, all of you will take it with a smile! For Shrek's sake, honor him as the Sea God Pavilion's highest-ranking guest!"

"Yes!" the elders answered in unison.

Grinding his back teeth, Yan Shaozhe took a deep breath and declared, "Rest assured, Teacher. For the academy's future, I'll endure it even if he calls me shameless! However..."

At this point, a sly gleam flashed through Yan Shaozhe's eyes.

"Once this boy's eyes recover, he'll surely be staying at Shrek. Since he's always going on about modern education, surely it would comply with academy regulations for me, as dean, to personally arrange a few high-intensity special combat classes for the new students, so he can gain a profound appreciation for Shrek's respect for teachers and their teachings?"

The elders exchanged glances, then smiled like old foxes in tacit understanding.

Yan Shaozhe was still just as petty.

Still, no one could find fault with the dean personally giving some "guidance" to a new student who didn't know the heights of heaven or the depths of earth.

Su Xian, oh, Su Xian, who told you to run your mouth?

"Enough. We can discuss combat classes later. The urgent matter is that he's demanding to meet the students." Mu En rubbed his chin, somewhat troubled. "The Inner Court disciples are all too old. They can't portray the naive ignorance of children left behind in a remote mountain village. Yan Shaozhe, go to the Outer Court and bring back two boys of fourteen or fifteen, the most talented and quick-witted ones."

Two names instantly flashed through Yan Shaozhe's mind. "Teacher, you mean... Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi?"

"Those two." Mu En nodded, then his gaze turned stern.

"Tell those two little brats to put on their shabbiest clothes and keep their soul power firmly suppressed in their dantians. Not a single trace is to leak out! Whatever strange things that Teacher Su teaches them, they will listen obediently and learn!"

"If they dare expose their identities as soul masters or anger Teacher Su..." The pressure of a Limit Douluo radiated from Mu En's entire body. "I'll personally break their legs!"

Yan Shaozhe's heart tightened. "I'll see to it right away!"

The scene shifted to the Shrek Outer Court's Soul Fighting Zone.

"Xu, you bastard turtle! If you dare run that filthy mouth again today, I'll smash that lousy shell of yours!"

"Come on, then! You think I'm afraid of you, Thunderbolt Bei Bei? Whoever backs down today is the other's grandson!"

On the soul fighting stage, the Outer Court's two prominent figures-"Thunderbolt Bei Bei" and "Invincible Defense Xu Sanshi"-were locked in a furious battle over a minor everyday dispute.

Lightning and profound water collided in a heated clash, while cheers from the Outer Court disciples watching below rose in an unbroken wave.

Just as the two were about to unleash their third soul skills and go all out.

A terrifying pressure descended from the sky, forcing the soul power inside both their bodies firmly back into their dantians.

Both fell onto the stage at once.

"Who dared ambush this young master?!" Xu Sanshi flew into a rage. He was about to unleash a torrent of abuse, but when he looked up, he saw a refined face wearing the hint of a smile.

"D-Dean Yan?!"

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi cried out in shock together, nearly biting their tongues in fright.

The Outer Court disciples fell utterly silent. Who didn't know this was the dean of the Martial Soul Department?

Without wasting a word, Yan Shaozhe picked up one boy in each hand. The Bright Phoenix's wings spread behind him, and he transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the sky above the Soul Fighting Zone.

A short while later, at the edge of the hills behind the Sea God Pavilion.

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi stood utterly bewildered on the muddy ground, each with a set of patched linen clothes shoved into his arms.

"Dean, is... is this some new cultivation method?" Bei Bei swallowed, looking at the outfit in his hands that seemed to have been stripped off someone in a pile of beggars.

"Less talk. Put them on!" Wearing a dark expression, Yan Shaozhe relayed the Sea God Pavilion's highest directive through gritted teeth. "From now on, you two are called A-Bei and A-Shi. You're children left behind in this remote mountain village called Niulai Village! There's a blind young man in that room, Teacher Su, who's come to volunteer as a village teacher."

"Ch-children left behind?" Xu Sanshi's eyes widened. "Dean, you're joking, aren't you? I'm the dignified young master of the Xuanming Sect, and I'm supposed to play a village kid for some blind man?"

"This is Mu En's highest directive!"

Yan Shaozhe lowered his voice, a murderous edge in his tone. "When you meet Teacher Su, keep your soul power tightly reined in! Whatever Teacher Su teaches, you learn! Even if he teaches you postpartum care for sows, you will take careful notes!"

"If you dare reveal the slightest hint that you're soul masters, or make him unhappy..."

Yan Shaozhe gave a cold laugh and patted their shoulders. "Mu En said he'll personally break both your damned legs!"

Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi felt a chill shoot from their tailbones straight to the crowns of their heads.

Even Mu En was involved?!

Just what sort of reclusive demon king was that blind man inside?!